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Metro Louisville has set a goal of 2,000 young people getting jobs through the city’s SummerWorks program.

The program helps place young people in summer jobs, working with companies including Norton Healthcare and Norton Healthcare.

“We know that that first summer job can often set the tone for a person’s life,” Fischer said Tuesday at a news conference. “A lot of the kids that we have, they haven’t worked where they had to clock in, get a pay check, whatever it might be. And the mentors and the people they meet at these jobs can really make a world of difference for them.”

SummerWorks is run through KentuckianaWorks. The program began in 2011 after federal funding for summer jobs was cut. In its first year, SummerWorks had 200 participants; last year it had about 1,500.

Many participating employers will be at the annual Mayor’s Youth Opportunity Showcase on Feb. 15 at the Kentucky International Convention Center on Fourth Street. Employers include UPS, Baptist Healthcare, the YMCA of Greater Louisville and more. Young people can also look into volunteer work and internships.

“Even if they’re not going to go through the training, you want to come as if you’re coming to a job interview because that’s the dynamic,” said Michael Gritton, executive director for KentuckianaWorks. “You want to bring a resume; you want to bring a form of ID. This is a real opportunity for you to meet employers, more than 25 who are going to be there with more than 700 job openings already, and we’re adding to that list all the time.”

Michael Gritton said employers can still sign up for space at the showcase. He encouraged people who don’t have positions to consider donating money to support summer work at non-profits.